Travelogue 2012

Now would probably be a good time to talk about this

At the house behind the Gwangju Cinema that Abraham Cruz Villegas was working with

Gwangju, Sept. 2012

I didn’t always feel the need to document my life while I was in transit because I thought the time to reflect (and write) would come about the minute I got back. That rarely ever happened. And so, the pictures piled up in one messy incoherent narrative–and I’m not complaining. This is equal parts luck and initiative, because there really are other things to spend your money on (or lose money to, depending on how you see it) besides travel.

When I say equal parts luck and equal parts initiative, I’m referring to how traveling, seeing how other people in the world live, and hearing their stories is a favor you do for yourself. Of course it’s not all romance, you do meet a few crazies here and there, but there’s more good than bad in that mix. For me, at least.

I feel the need to talk about this now because I had to cancel a trip this year. These past few weeks have mostly been about stepping aside–literally standing outside my own life to accommodate the other people in it–and that has culminated in the events of the past couple of days. I did an interview with an artist once, Christina Dy, as she was mounting a solo show called All the Wonderful Things, and I asked her about her life, and she said something about curve balls. This is that curve ball.

I was supposed to go to Jakarta and Yogyakarta next week, but it looks like that isn’t happening anymore. First, Regi’s wedding got postponed, next, I’m needed here by other people. And that’s okay. There were all those times this year in which I came first; in which what I wanted to do was at the center of my existence. This is, as all the self-help books say, the way it should be; but “this” isn’t always how it is, and of course we all know that.

I’m convinced everything is in the right place and this will all even out.

Lastly, I know I’m not the religious type, but if you over there, reading this, could just send well wishes and good vibrations in my grandmother’s general direction, I would very much appreciate it.